Staff Attorney I, II, or III

State of Oklahoma

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma (“TRS” or “the System”) is seeking to fill the position of Staff Attorney. This is a full-time position in State Government and is eligible for a generous benefits package. Benefits include an allowance to offset the costs of medical, dental, life and disability insurance products as well as a defined benefit retirement plan (pension), a deferred compensation plan, and pay for performance incentives. Employees earn 3 weeks of paid annual leave and 3 weeks of paid sick leave in the first year as well as enjoy 11 paid holidays. Longevity pay is also received for each year of service with the State of Oklahoma. TRS was established in 1943 for the purpose of providing retirement allowances and other specified benefits for qualified persons employed by state-supported educational institutions. The System is a part of the State of Oklahoma financial reporting entity, which is combined with other similar funds to comprise the fiduciary-pension trust funds of the State of Oklahoma. The System administers a cost-sharing multiple-employer pension plan which is a defined benefit pension plan (the “DB plan”) and a cost- sharing multiple-employer plan providing post-employment benefits other than pensions (the “OPEB plan”). TRS currently serves over 205,000 members and beneficiaries and approximately 600 participating public education employers in Oklahoma. APPLICATION PROCEDURES: Please apply for this position through the Workday Jobs Hub. Applicants must provide a resume, references, and a writing sample. All applicants must agree in writing to complete, and must satisfactorily pass, a background investigation. Only applications submitted in accordance with these procedures will be considered. PURPOSE: Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, a TRS staff attorney will be a member of a collaborative legal team handling a variety of legal and administrative matters in support of the System’s Mission, Vision, and Values. General duties will include providing legal support to the TRS staff while ensuring compliance with laws and regulations and otherwise supporting the Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel in providing strategic legal guidance to management. Applicants must be highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of working both independently and collectively with the team.

Requirements

Knowledge of and ability to interpret federal and state laws and regulations relating to public administration, public pension systems, state government, employment law, the Oklahoma and U.S. Constitution, and the Oklahoma Open Records Act; knowledge of the principles, methods and practices of the various benefit programs being administered; knowledge of the organization.
Able to establish and maintain diplomatic and effective relationships with TRS employees, TRS members and employers, state officials, and the public
Strong oral and written communications of all types
Solid ability to efficiently interpret, analyze and resolve difficult administrative and legal issues including the ability to present statements of fact and law and to clearly and logically articulate position both orally and in writing
Critical thinking
Able to independently perform legal research across various research mechanisms, including online and printed resources.
Ability to successfully work independently and collectively with a team
High degree of ethics and integrity
Attention to detail
Ability to prioritize workload and meet deadlines
Sound judgment and decision-making
Professionalism
Capability with Microsoft Office, including but not limited to Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Level I: Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school, and License to practice law in Oklahoma with associated Oklahoma Bar membership in good standing.
Level II: Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school, and License to practice law in Oklahoma with associated Oklahoma Bar membership in good standing. Two (2) years of legal experience or adjudicative experience.
Level III: Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school, and License to practice law in Oklahoma with associated Oklahoma Bar membership in good standing. Five (5) years of legal experience or adjudicative experience.

Nice To Haves

Prior legal experience in one or more of the following areas will make an applicant more competitive but is not required: state government, administrative law, public pension, public trust, or similar type areas.

Responsibilities

Assists the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel with ensuring state and federal legal and regulatory compliance of agency operations, including but not limited to: Identifying, researching, and analyzing issues; Drafting applicable legal guidance, procedures, and related documents; and Presenting legal guidance and recommendations to management.
As a member of the legal department, provide legal support to TRS employees on matters arising in connection with the execution of their duties, including but not limited to: Identifying, researching, analyzing, and providing legal guidance on various issues including but not limited to preparation of correspondence, memoranda, briefs, pleadings, motions, orders, and other relevant or related documents and pleadings
Regular review and update of Information Center database
Review of various legal documents such as subpoenas duces tecum, power of attorney documents, wills, trust documents, qualified domestic orders, independent consultant/contractor agreements, and employer late fee requests, and Administration of probate waiver, recoupment, and felony forfeiture legal processes.
In conjunction with or at the request of the General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel, provide legal guidance including researching, analyzing and preparing legal correspondence in response to TRS member, participating TRS employer, and other stakeholder inquiries.
Assists the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel in review and drafting of agency rules and regulations and coordinates submission of appropriate rules documentation through the online portal, meeting all relevant deadlines.
Attends meetings as necessary and as requested by the General Counsel and/or Deputy General Counsel
Sorts/tracks and monitors legislation throughout legislative sessions, reporting to the General Counsel and Executive Director regarding legislation of interest to TRS. For legislation determined to be of interest to TRS, monitors committee and floor schedules and reports scheduling to the General Counsel and Executive Director to enable their attendance at relevant committee/floor meetings.
Upon request of the General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel, reviews and responds to Open Records Requests.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

generous benefits package
allowance to offset the costs of medical, dental, life and disability insurance products
defined benefit retirement plan (pension)
deferred compensation plan
pay for performance incentives
3 weeks of paid annual leave and 3 weeks of paid sick leave in the first year
11 paid holidays
Longevity pay

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